US forces board a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman to verify compliance with the maritime blockade on Iran

Washington, July 16 (KUNA) – U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Thursday that it had boarded a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman to verify its compliance with the U.S. embargo on Iranian ports. In a statement, CENTCOM said that U.S. Marines boarded and inspected the tanker “Wen Yao” in the Gulf of Oman to ensure its adherence to the embargo on Iran. The statement added that U.S. forces had diverted the course of three commercial ships that attempted to breach the embargo, disrupted a vessel that failed to comply, and inspected another ship to ensure full compliance with the U.S. maritime embargo. The statement reaffirmed that the Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding waters remain open to ships, except those attempting to violate the U.S. maritime embargo on Iranian ports. Earlier on Thursday, CENTCOM announced the start of a new wave of strikes against Iran in response to the targeting of commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. (End) A.M.M. / H.S.S.